WELCOME, WRITERS

If you've come to this blog, you're probably already a competent writer--or well on your way to becoming one. After all, the surest sign of a good writer is an eagerness to become an even better writer. Writing teachers are also welcome here.

This blog will offer advice on style, grammar, even such mundane matters as punctuation. Good writing is an art, yes, but it is also a craft, like quilting or carpentry or car repair. That means the ability to write is more than just an inborn talent; it is also a skill that can be learned.

Over the years, folks have paid me a lot of money for my writing and for my advice about writing. I've been a senior editor at the New York Times Magazine Group, and I've published hundreds of magazine articles myself. I've taught writing at several universities—most recently Virginia Tech. Corporations like FedEx have hired me to teach their executives how to write better. (Note to teachers: Many of my blog posts originated as lesson plans. Feel free to use them in your own classes.)

Now retired from full-time work, I still teach writing seminars, for free, to worthy nonprofits.

Given all this, I suppose I'm qualified to offer some suggestions about the subject of writing. Much of what I say here has been said in other places--especially in fine books like Strunk and White's The Elements of Style and Donald Hall's Writing Well. You should read those books. Meanwhile, I hope you find some of the advice on this blog useful.

Monday, January 2, 2012

HOW TO WRITE A LETTER TO STEVEN SPIELBERG

Steven Spielberg (above) and Mark Twain (below) would make a good team.

I just wrote a letter to Steven Spielberg, the movie director. This process raised some interesting questions about writing. Here’s the final version of my letter.

I’m writing to suggest, if you haven’t already suggested it to yourself, that you consider making a movie of Huckleberry Finn that does justice to the novel—the definitive film version of a great American story.

Ernest Hemingway said, “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn.” Strangely, there has never been a movie version of Huckleberry Finn that comes anywhere near capturing the richness of the novel. Most have simply approached it as a “boy’s book,” emphasizing its humor. In saying what he said, Hemingway recognized that Huckleberry Finn deals with profound themes in American culture: love, death, self-reliance, racism, Puritanism, the tyranny of the majority, the failure of the past, the confusion of the present, and the appalling American demand that each person invent himself in The New World.

It’s also the simple story of a very brave boy. When Huck decides at last to help Jim escape to freedom, he says, “All right, then, I’ll go to hell!” It is one of the great moments of courage in the history of literature, because Huck believes, literally and vividly, that the fires of eternal damnation await him for his act of conscience.

People die in Huckleberry Finn—people Huck loves—and his best friend (Tom Sawyer) lacks the character to follow where Huck’s conscience leads him. Despite its “happy” ending, it’s also rather sad: in the end, Huck must “light out for the Territory,” alone.

And, of course, amazingly, it’s a terrifically funny book, too, with plenty of action sequences. No wonder Hemingway felt about it the way he did.

I admire your movies, especially Empire of the Sun, which deals with some of the same themes as Huckleberry Finn and wasn’t afraid to take a boy’s story seriously. I have no personal stake in your doing this movie except that I happen to love good movies, and I happen to love this book. (Heaven help me, I also have a bunch of degrees in American literature.)

Please make a movie of Huckleberry Finn. And thanks for reading my longwinded suggestion.

Sincerely,

Ed Weathers

At the bottom of this post is a link to the actual letter in both its original and final forms. Here are some of the writing questions that any letter like this raises, and how I answered them:

Would you address a fan letter "Dear Mr. Jeter"?

Q: How formal should the letter be?

A: This question comprises a lot of sub-questions. For example, how should I address Steven Spielberg? This is always a tricky question for letters to celebrities. Should I say “Dear Steven” or “Dear Mr. Spielberg”? “Dear Mr. Spielberg” seems rather formal, considering film fans feel we know him well. Would we write a fan letter to Tom Hanks that says “Dear Mr. Hanks”? Most fans I know would say “Dear Tom.” Likewise, most Yankee fans would write “Dear Derek,” not “Dear Mr. Jeter.” But, as a director, Spielberg is a bit more removed from his fans than an actor like Tom Hanks—slightly higher (or at least less visible) in the film hierarchy—so I chose “Dear Mr. Spielberg.” To have written “Dear Steven” would have seemed presumptuous, as if I were pretending to be his friend. When writing, you must take into account your relationship with your reader, and the salutation of a letter is the first step in defining that relationship.

Another question of formality has to do with contractions: To have contractions or not to have contractions? A very formal letter would have no contractions. I could have started the letter: “I am writing to suggest, if you have not already suggested it to yourself . . .” This seemed a bit too formal for me. I wanted to come across as an ordinary person, not a fuddy duddy, so I used contractions (I'm,haven't). When writing, you must decide what kind of persona (image or impression) you want to establish. Try to establish that persona at the very beginning of a document.

Finally, there was the general question of the formality of the vocabulary:Should the vocabulary be formal/serious/academic or informal/light/everyday?I have a history in academia, but I wanted first to come across as an ordinary film fan. I didn’t use academic terms like “personification” or “narrative arc” or even “cinema.” I didn’t use any words that an ordinary educated person wouldn’t know. On the other hand, I didn’t shy from using terms like “the tyranny of the majority” and “Puritanism,” which are better understood by American studies specialists than by the average person. Such phrases, while not difficult to comprehend, were useful in establishing that I’ve thought a lot about this book. They also help establish my credentials as someone who understands how to talk about the themes of books and movies. Again, I worked hard to have just the right balance of ordinary and a-little-more-erudite-than-ordinary language in the letter.

Should my letter start with Hemingway or not?

Q: How should the letter begin?

In the first draft of my letter, I began with the quote from Hemingway and spent the first paragraph making the claim that there had never been a film that took Huckleberry Finn as seriously as I think it deserves to be taken. The opening words of a document are hugely important. If they turn the reader off, the writer will have a devil of a time turning the reader on again. I thought the Hemingway quote made a strong statement, and Hemingway certainly has more credibility for Steven Spielberg than this unknown guy named Ed Weathers.

But then I thought: Steven Spielberg is a busy man. In Hollywood, it is said, you should be able to summarize an entire film idea in one sentence, and in a movie pitch to studio heads, you’d better start with that sentence because that’s all they might listen to. So I decided to begin the letter with the point of the letter: that I wanted Spielberg to make a movie of Huckleberry Finn. In the United States, it is usually a good idea to start a business letter—which, in effect, this is—with your main point. (Note: In many other parts of the world, like Asia, South America, and the Middle East, you should take a more roundabout way to get to your point, lest you be thought discourteous or brusque. More on that in a future post.)

Should I mention the Mickey Rooney version of Huckleberry Finn?

Q: How much detail should I put in?

At one point in the composition of this letter, I decided that I should list all the movie versions of Huckleberry Finn that have been made in the past. This seemed useful because I knew that Spielberg wouldn’t make a decision about this until he had seen the previous versions of the story, and I wanted to make it easy for him to find them. Try to answer all your reader’s questions, and try to offer useful information, even if your reader may not think to ask for it. I thought one of Spielberg’s questions might be what other films had been made of Huck’s story. Besides, I know from reading about him that Steven Spielberg likes to watch movies, and a list of previous versions of the story would show him that I, too, am a movie buff. Try to learn as much about your readers as you can, so you can appeal to them as effectively as possible, with information they might want and arguments that might persuade them.

I also know, for example, that Spielberg loves the movie Lawrence of Arabia, which happens to be my favorite movie of all time. I considered mentioning that in the letter, too, for obvious reasons.

In the end, I didn’t put in any movie history or say anything about my love of Lawrence of Arabia. I didn't even mention that I wrote my Master’s thesis about Huckleberry Finn. Why not? Simply because it would have taken up too much space, and that information didn’t seem necessary to make my point. Like any busy businessman, Steven Spielberg isn’t going to give a letter like this much time. Most business letters should be no more than one page.No doubt you might see some things in the letter that you would have left out to make the letter even shorter.

(The question of how long a document should be is not to be taken lightly.My blog posts, for example, like this one, are always longer than they should be. This is a result of my self-indulgence and shows, in a sense, a lack of consideration to my readers. I apologize.)

Should I mention that Lawrence of Arabia, one of Spielberg's favorite movies, is also my favorite?

Q: What arguments would be most persuasive?

At the heart of most writing is the need to be persuasive. You are trying to convince someone to do something or to change the way they think about something. What did I need to say to have the best chance of persuading Steven Spielberg that his making a film of Huckleberry Finn was a good idea? (Note: Being a realist, I will not judge the success of the letter by whether he actually makes the film. I could have made the best case in the world, and he might really want to make the movie I want him to make, but there are a thousand reasons he won’t or can’t. Sometimes, as a writer, you can be as persuasive as humanly possible and still not get what you want. Live with it.)

In the end, I decided to keep the focus of my argument on the book itself. First, I had to show that the novel is worthy of being a film. This was easy: the Hemingway quote, the list of the novel’s themes, and the fact that it had been the subject of so many other film versions made that point sufficiently, I thought. I call this the “positive” argument—the argument that says why my position is correct.

Second, I had to address Spielberg’s most likely objections to making a movie of the book. Those objections were, I believed, 1) it’s already been made into a movie and 2) it’s just a lightweight children’s book. The heart of the letter, then, including the Hemingway quote, is devoted to explaining that this is a book to be taken seriously—it is not just a humorous kids' book—and that the films that have been made previously have not captured the book’s true spirit. Always address your reader’s possible counterarguments. This is an indispensable part of powerful persuasion. I call this the “converse” argument: it explains why potential objections to my position are weak.

Of course, knowing Spielberg’s movies, most of which include action and humor, I also needed to point out that Huckleberry Finn also has both of those characteristics, in addition to its serious side. It is also, as I mention, a book with a child as the protagonist—something that Spielberg has focused on in nearly all his movies. When you can, appeal to your reader’s values in your argument.

Q: Should I flatter Steven Spielberg or not?

This is another difficult question when you write, especially when you write to people in positions of power and fame (including your boss). Be respectful, but don't come across as an obsequious sycophant.(“Obsequious sycophant” is more or less redundant, but it was a favorite phrase of my high-school English teacher Mr. Cates, who clearly understood its redundancy and who always said it with a sly grin while subtly accusing one of being just such a thing.) If your reader thinks you’re just flattering him to get your way, your motives will be called into question and you will lose all credibility. A writer who loses his credibility will also lose his reader.In this letter, this question—how much to flatter Mr. Spielberg—was easy to answer: all I had to do was tell the truth. The truth was this: I like his movies, especially Empire of the Sun, and that’s why I want him to make the definitive movie version of Huckleberry Finn. This was absolutely sincere on my part. If you write sincerely, your credibility will rarely be called into question—nor should it be. I also think the mention of one specific film—Empire of the Sun—will help convince him of my sincerity here: it shows I know his films pretty well (this is not one of his best-known ones), and it has a subject—a young boy trying to make his way in difficult circumstances—that is apt to Huckleberry Finn. In any writing, relevant specifics are powerful additions to a strong argument.

Is it sucking up too much to mention that Empire of the Sun is one of my favorite movies?

Q: Should I mention my own credentials or not?

When they’re relevant, it’s perfectly legitimate for a writer to mention his credentials in a business letter. This is one more element that can add to his credibility. On the other hand, you don’t want to come across as bragging. I thought it worth mentioning that I have some expertise in American literature, so Spielberg knew this letter was from someone who has a fairly sophisticated understanding of the novel. I did this as light-heartedly as I could: “Heaven help me, I also have a bunch of degrees in American literature.” In this case, as usual, tone is everything. I also thought it was important for him to know that I had no personal stake in the enterprise—I wasn’t some screenwriter trying to get a gig, for example. He no doubt gets enough of that.

Q: Is the letter visually designed well?

Good writers design their documents so that their readers can read and navigate them easily. (In Professional Writing classes, the two key virtues of good writing are said to be “usability” and “persuasiveness.” Good design contributes to usability. Conversely, bad design can make your writing less persuasive by annoying your reader.)In this letter, I’ve tried to have a conventional block-letter look (no indents, spaces between paragraphs), standard margins, plenty of white space, and relatively short paragraphs, so the page doesn’t look intimidating to read. I chose paper with a simple border—nothing so showy that it would distract from the writing, but fancy enough to suggest that the idea deserves to be on something better than printer paper.

Originally, the ideas in my second paragraph were divided into two paragraphs, but that seemed to result in too many small paragraphs. Too many small paragraphs suggest that the writer is unable to develop and sustain an idea. Too many long paragraphs, on the other hand, suggest that the writer either doesn’t care that he's burdening the reader with text-heavy pages or assumes he has the authority to force the reader to read on.If anything, I’d say the paragraphs in this letter are a bit too short.

Q: How should I end the letter?

I chose to end it by repeating the point of the document (Please make the movie, Mr. Spielberg) and with a brief self-deprecating comment acknowledging his courtesy in reading such a long letter. (I tend to be too self-deprecating in my writing. As in this very parenthetical comment.)

Q: Will anyone else besides Steven Spielberg read this letter?

Obviously, the answer to this is Yes. It will probably be read by one of his assistants first. In fact, when I sent him a similar letter ten years ago, I had a cover letter addressed directly to the assistant, asking the assistant to pass it along! This time that seemed to me a bit too coy. But I did try to write in such a way that an intelligent assistant (probably a film-loving college grad) would appreciate the letter. A good writer always considers secondary readers.

I didn't proofread carefully enough!

Q: Did I proofread the letter carefully before I sent it off?

I thought I did. I made sure I had the date on it (something I often forget in letters) and that I signed it legibly. (Some people are offended by a rushed, illegible signature.) I read it aloud twice. But you’ll notice that in the sentence that begins “People die in Huckleberry Finn . . .” I forgot to italicize the title of the book—and that, unfortunately, is how I sent the letter off. Good writers proofread, proofread, and proofread again. Then they set their document aside for a while and come back to it later, for one more proofreading. If you have a good editor among your friends or family, it’s best to have that person proofread for you at the end.In my eagerness to send out the letter, I didn’t do that. I hate errors like this. I hope Mr. Spielberg doesn’t notice.

And I hope, someday, to see Huckleberry Finn on the big screen, directed by Steven Spielberg, faithfully adapted from a novel of the same name.

Hey Ed, great content! I'm an actor and I'm looking to write a director who has some smaller credits (short films as director/producer/writer) and a few great credits as creative director. Now he's slated to direct a pretty big film. I did see his 2 short films on YouTube. Any suggestions on how to tweak to this situation vs writing Spielberg? Thanks!

Sorry, Tim. I never got a response from Mr. Spielberg, so I'm not in a position to give any advice about how to contact him. I simply use my letter as a teaching tool for my writing students and those who read this blog.

I would like to tell you a little story of my survivalI am Brazilian, I lived in Europe for a while, met a Portuguese Port, we live together, we were in love, I was pregnant, he left me as if I never existedHe asked me to withdraw the childthat, out of his house and went to unknown house, did the pregnancy test was positiveI returned to Brazil where I had support from my mother,I spent my pregnancy going to Portugal in search of warmth and comfort of the father of my daughter,he and family closed their doors in my faceI was six months hitchhiking on the roads of Europe alone with no one to helpI went to ride France with a man who felt sorry for me to see me pregnant, was afraid to leave me alonetook me to his house, I was I ate my seven months when I returned home in Braziltried to contact with the father of my daughter and he often wondered if the baby was really hisI was humiliated, abused by him and familywhen I had my daughter, I spent a year without being able to see her face with post partum depressionso I understood that my daughter needed me after feeling the love in my heart for herfrom that day on I began to love my daughter and not give up like his father didwanted to build my family to give my daughter a larmde fact, often I went in search of social networking site from a fellow who was responsible to the point of loving us twoI met a German who came to marry him, my daughter can finally have your own room, she had toys and I believe that our life was improvingI figured wrongwe were married in Denmark and the hotel where we stayed was beautiful, but Peter was crazy because I did not have sexual relations with him that day, and wanted to leave me in Denmark with my little daughter without me even knowing how to speak EnglishHe threatened me until I had to wank it to him to calm downwhen he slept really saw who he really was one pisicopataI married him for fearI was afraid of him doing something with me and my daughterHe spent one year I can run away from home with my girl and go back to Brazil

get away from the house of my husband German who gave me divorce in 2012 and it had no right to take my belongings for abandoning him in self-defensethen even tried other relationships wanted to give a life to my family daughter, is so what I thinkI want a familythe father of my daughter never bothered to anything, ever done anything so farthis time I found a new boyfriend, that took me to australia, my daughter can also enjoy a bedroom, study, and we were having a family homeI was loving australia because the weather looks like the Brazilian, he was giving me the opportunity to study and growagain something the wrong friends and my boyfriend begin to enter our relationshipacontecram many bad things to me and my daughter in australia, people who wanted to hurt us badlynearly died worldwidethanks to God get back again to Brazil with my daughter

My story is not over, last year I went back to Europe again, most everything went wrongI want to write a book of my life, or maybe someone makes a movie with all the details so I can give the horres I experienced the world with a child in the arms, I see myself a brave warrior woman, with strength and determination I have only one dream to give my daughter the happiness of having a family, a real home, a house, I really want this dream to come true one day and all people especially the father of my daughter can understand everything I wanted him to do was just give my daughter the right to be European Citizenship, that he never didto survive today I sell used clothing, and keep my daughter, I'm happy about it, really I wanted the world to know my story and so perhaps the father of my daughter knew to value the two and see everything I spent with she even get here write a desperate letter to someone I hardly know whether to read and will give me some opportunity alsomy name is maria oliveira from brazil I would very much like my story to be told through a movie and really wanted to sandra bulock representing me in this role

I wanna be an actor. I'm 37 but look 25 and very closely resemble young Clint Eastwood. I have busted my ass as a hard working auto body mechanic for 20 years now raising 4 daughters on a single income. I'm tired of the hard work with little pay just toake ends meet. No idea how to make any of this come true... But then again it is a dream I am the full package and truly believe I just need discovered. Not looking for wealth just better life for all my loved ones and those thruout the world in need of someone to just care enough to help. But I can't take food out of my own kids mouth just to help. Anyone with the power to help me succed 260-615-9256 or Instagram Jason_Covey or kik @ braaaooop

I wanna be an actor. I'm 37 but look 25 and very closely resemble young Clint Eastwood. I have busted my ass as a hard working auto body mechanic for 20 years now raising 4 daughters on a single income. I'm tired of the hard work with little pay just toake ends meet. No idea how to make any of this come true... But then again it is a dream I am the full package and truly believe I just need discovered. Not looking for wealth just better life for all my loved ones and those thruout the world in need of someone to just care enough to help. But I can't take food out of my own kids mouth just to help. Anyone with the power to help me succed 260-615-9256 or Instagram Jason_Covey or kik @ braaaooop

I wanna be an actor. I'm 37 but look 25 and very closely resemble young Clint Eastwood. I have busted my ass as a hard working auto body mechanic for 20 years now raising 4 daughters on a single income. I'm tired of the hard work with little pay just toake ends meet. No idea how to make any of this come true... But then again it is a dream I am the full package and truly believe I just need discovered. Not looking for wealth just better life for all my loved ones and those thruout the world in need of someone to just care enough to help. But I can't take food out of my own kids mouth just to help. Anyone with the power to help me succed 260-615-9256 or Instagram Jason_Covey or kik @ braaaooop

if u .... in ur whole lifetime looking for something.... then u just need to connect rite time rite place m not so lucky here find me m doing the same trying very hard to find u i don't need help .... i want to help u so.....

Hiya Steven. You are my mentor an have always enjoy the dims you have made. I'm inspired by you an I would like to put my idea forward to you of a white guy who goes in for an operation but comes out a Indian guy, I can do a perfect Indians voice, I'm willing to work hard whatever needs to be done an to make a English Black Country guy be famous. I hope you can make my dreams come true because it's something I'd like to achieve before I'm no longer on this earth, & for my wife an children to be proud of me. Hope you can make this work.

When we all were 7, learned that Christopher Columbus Discovered America on October 12, 1492. When I was 18, 60 years ago, I inherited an ancient Chinese Historical chronicle, about the early discovery of the American Continent in year 459 A. D. (Fifth Century of the Christian era) by a discovery excursion of Chinese Buddhist monks, ordered by the then emperor of China. Ambitiously, I visit Mr. Steven Spielberg web page and thus I discovered his public invitation to send stories which, depending of the theme and importance of their nature, may be considered by him, for the production of one of his spectacular historical movie pictures. Quickly I sent him a general description of my story theme and to my enormous surprise, !next day! I received the answer of Mr. Spielberg´s team, which amazed me because it contained my very own text, expressed in such a way that could be acceptable by the format, used by Mr. Spielberg to evaluate that kind of proposals. I was extremely happy to face the possibility to be lucky enough, to become a part of that opportunity, so that I quickly prepare my story in the proper presentation. It took maybe just a couple of days, to carefully prepare my text and its original scientific and human supports. Then, when I try to send it using the Internet, I discovered that the Internet service on my computer was interrupted, for an argument I was dealing with the supplier of that service, for a clear abuse on services charges. So, I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEND MY STORY OMMEDIATELY as I knew !I must do! And I know: In business, !When you are late, You are out!Just a couple of days later, when things became normal I called Mr. Spielberg enterprise in California, to show my interest in participating in that Golden and long expected opportunity. Logically I was not able to speak with a hi ranked officer, but his secretary told me that unfortunately, that promotion was closed the day before, because of the thousands of stories received in a short period of time and any newly received proposal will be send back unreaded to the sender. She adviced me, that an alternative will be to get a letter of knowledge and recommendation from a well-known films Producer and/or Director. I can´t describe my sad frustration, to lose that wonderful opportunity, even having in my hand Spielberg’s attention on how to properly transmit my extremely original and authentic piece of the History of Man; for which I have physical authenticity proves and a Book already finished in Spanish, called: “With China in the Blood”. Ideal to be adapted into an Spectacular Historic film, Worldwide.I am a retired Architect, living in Montreal Canada since 42 years ago, and I know my days may be counted. So this is a serious matter as I don´t know people in that small community of experts in cinematography, to get the support letter I need, to approach Mr. Spielberg with professional strenght and dignity. The main reason is that during my youth, I made the promise on an Oath to my uncle, mentor and protagonist of that story that happened during the Summer of 1954, in Taipei, Taiwan. The deal with his respected memory still is, to be his messenger, to spread the update and prove the discovery of the American Continent, 1033 years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus. The question here is: ¿May I hear your wise advice?, ¿Interested? ! Well, we could make a serious deal on results! ¿Could we? For preliminary contact, please use: E-mail: cobraslord@gmail.com Jokers and opportunists, Please be kind and abstain.

Some years ago I wrote a novel: The Ten Percent Man (TTPM). My aim in writing the book was to bring about awareness of a creeping, menacing situation in which I found myself through my job in the probation service. I along with other colleagues from probation and from social service, the police and the medical profession were conscripted onto a taskforce investigating child abuse. However, it quickly became obvious that we had stumbled upon a worldwide human organ for sale, criminal organisation that had its head quarters in our town and rumours abounded that people appeared to be going missing. Was this a modern day Burke and Hare outfit? We would never know as soon after this discovery one of the police officers received a late night visitor who left the man in no doubt about the welfare of his family: “if we didn’t back off”. Within the week the taskforce had been disbanded.A global danger was threatening, but my colleagues and I were fearful to speak of it for fear of upsetting some powerful people; and so with the support of my wife I wrote about it in veiled terms and set it in the future hoping this would enable me to safely get the message out. At the time I wrote about this terrifying prospect the world was unaware, for the most part, now however, it has come centre stage on the world scene. International organisations such as The World Medical Association and the World Health Organisation together with human rights organisations regard the sale of human organs as inhumane and unethical. And they assert that today, China stands out in using organs of executed prisoners to sell for transplant surgery at substantial profits and that America and some of its most famous institutions have been China’s partners in this grizzly trade for many years and would appear to be quite content to continue its association regardless of the cost of human suffering. These organisations believe it is essential to address all the concerns surrounding illicit organ trade and possibly invoke an international trade mandate to which all nations must adhere - before it becomes uncontrollable. It would seem that my book is at its time now as nobody else has written anything like it. It can be viewed at and you can even buy it (wow that makes a change from all the fawning on this site) here:http://www.lulu.com/shop/ted-moss/the-ten-percent-man/paperback/product-6471811.htmlAfter writing the book I left it with the publisher and I, in my small way, have tried to promote the book via email signatures and additions to letter footers and word of mouth, but having no Internet presence my novel has stayed pretty much a non-entity. Sure my efforts have resulted in the sale of a fair few copies, but not enough to enlighten the world and get people thinking and more to the point, acting to stop this horror. It is possible the book might now be ready to take the world by storm, but I lack the means to promote it and therefore, my question to you is: can we collaborate to promote and sell the book? If it takes off, as I would think it would with the proper vehicle to lend support, that vehicle will be synonymous with helping to raise worldwide awareness of this horror threatening our modern world.

It bothered him that the dog at three fourteen (seen from the side) should have the same name as the dog at three fifteen (seen from the front). . .—Jorge Luis Borges, "Funes the Memorious"

Political language—and with variations this is true of all political parties, from Conservatives to Anarchists—is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.—George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language"

The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.—Mark Twain

"To generalize is to be an idiot. To particularize is the alone distinction of merit."—William Blake